18 replies to this topic

[VolFan]

Anyone had any luck cleaning them? Im not talking about discoloration. When brewing yesterday I noticed when I picked the hop bag up it was draining rather poorly. Got me to thinking about my efficiency. The bags are caked so to speak.I soaked them last night in hot water and PBW. They still don't drain well. Guess I could just buy a few more but if I can avoid it that would be nice.

[MyaCullen]

hmm, turn them inside out and scrub them with a scrub brush perhaps?

[MakeMeHoppy]

I can't imagine the problem you are having. Did you put them away dirty once and let the hops dry in the bag clogging the holes? After each use I spray them off turning inside out a couple of times. They are stained from use in a porter, but water easily gets in and out of the holes.

[VolFan]

I will try to find our scrub brush for I couldn't find it last night.The bags have always been put away clean. There are 4 yrs old and have seen some heavy use.

[MakeMeHoppy]

I think after 4 years you could probably replace them!

[MX1]

aww, just toss them hops right in the kettle or carboy, it is all good...Tim

[VolFan]

The brush we have didn't work too well. What does work although time consuming is rubbing the bag together on itself. The amount of break/hop material that has come loose from the bag is significant. I'm sure this has hurt my hop utilization.

[japh]

I wash mine out as well as I can, and then I throw them in the laundry with the towels. Seems to work.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

and then I throw them in the laundry with the towels.

eeewwwwwwww

[Deerslyr]

I wash mine out as well as I can, and then I throw them in the laundry with the towels. Seems to work.

+1 as this is what I did when I actually used the suckers. But I have since abandoned the bags and let it all go in without restrictions. Works well for me.

[Deerslyr]

eeewwwwwwww

Nothing gross about it. I used to just give em a good rinse to get all the crud off. SWMBO wasn't fazed to find them in the laundry and when they were done, I knew they were snuggly soft and clean...

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Nothing gross about it. I used to just give em a good rinse to get all the crud off. SWMBO wasn't fazed to find them in the laundry and when they were done, I knew they were snuggly soft and clean...

I'm not worried about the laundry - I'm worried about the hop bag mixing with all of my filth that's on my towels and/or clothes.

[Deerslyr]

I'm not worried about the laundry - I'm worried about the hop bag mixing with all of my filth that's on my towels and/or clothes.

I figure nothing can be more disgusting than the residue on a hop bag. But then, once you've had a baby and YOUR clothes that you wear to work are going in with something the baby crapped/drooled/puked all over and you realize it comes out spanking clean, that worry goes out the window. But now I get what you are saying.To quote an episode of Friends... "Soap, it's self cleaning!" I figure once the bag is washed in soap, rinsed and dried, all is good with the world.

[al_bob]

Anyone had any luck cleaning them? Im not talking about discoloration. When brewing yesterday I noticed when I picked the hop bag up it was draining rather poorly. Got me to thinking about my efficiency. The bags are caked so to speak.I soaked them last night in hot water and PBW. They still don't drain well. Guess I could just buy a few more but if I can avoid it that would be nice.

Obviously the inherent oils and resins building up over time. I crush hops in my hands a lot before adding them and it's like having pine resin on you afterward. Soap just doesn't work so good. I use GoJo hand cleaner (the stuff they use in auto garages) and it cuts right through it, if that gives you any idea. I don't use hop bags. I do strain through a bag after cooling, though.

[VolFan]

The way I currently have the pick up tube that attaches to the spigot on the BK I like using it. I can get by without if I remove the tube that touches the side on the bottle of the kettle and just drain directly from the spigot.I might have some gojo around here somewhere, but rubbing the bag together on itself done a decent job, although time consuming. Like I mentioned earlier, 4 yrs old and they have seen some heavy use. I like my IPA's.

[al_bob]

The way I currently have the pick up tube that attaches to the spigot on the BK I like using it. I can get by without if I remove the tube that touches the side on the bottle of the kettle and just drain directly from the spigot.I might have some gojo around here somewhere, but rubbing the bag together on itself done a decent job, although time consuming. Like I mentioned earlier, 4 yrs old and they have seen some heavy use. I like my IPA's.

Yeah, I'm not sure if I would use gojo on my brewing stuff.... just wanted to illustrate my point to the oiliness...

[VolFan]

Yeah, I'm not sure if I would use gojo on my brewing stuff.... just wanted to illustrate my point to the oiliness...

I thought you actually did use it, then I assumed you bleached it or something afterwords. Don't be putting stupid ideas in my head!

[japh]

SWMBO wasn't fazed to find them in the laundry and when they were done, I knew they were snuggly soft and clean...

For me, I was trying to wash out all the hop gunk when SWMBO told me to just dump them in the laundry.

[Deerslyr]

For me, I was trying to wash out all the hop gunk when SWMBO told me to just dump them in the laundry.

Every once in a while they actually do something unexpected. I was half surprised she didn't say "what the hell are these and what do you expect ME to do with them?" They were, for the most part, clean. I just wanted them run through the laundry.